📑 Report – Strengthening Women’s Community Organization for Livestock Management – 28 August 2025

“RBWRP strengthened Women’s Community Organizations in August 2025, empowering women in livestock management, climate‑smart agriculture, and community water governance in Balochistan.”

🎯 Purpose

The purpose of the meeting was the proper formation of the women’s community organization (tanzeem). It also aimed to strengthen and sustain the organization, as done earlier with the support of institutions like the Asian Development Bank.

Key objectives included:

• Strengthen Women’s Community Organizations (WCOs) for livestock management.
• Promote gender‑inclusive governance in rangeland and water resource management.
• Build capacity for climate‑smart agriculture and household resilience.
• Selection of women leaders for the tanzeem.
• Building the sustainability and effectiveness of the organization.
• Providing future training for women in various sectors.
• Developing business skills and capacity for livelihood improvement.
• Highlighting women’s role in food and nutrition security.
• Teaching methods to conserve water using modern techniques.
• Introducing new approaches for household-level businesses.
• Promoting self-help so that women can independently manage and grow their businesses.

🎯 All About WCO

District: Loralai
Tehsil: Meakhtar
Village: Killi Bala

Village Information

• Households: 15
• Population: 600
• Location: Monsoon area, but often faces drought. This year, since July, rains have started, but earlier there was drought.

Background

Previously, Mr. Yousaf and Mr. Saleh Muhammad’s team visited this village to conduct scoping for rangeland management capacity. This visit was focused on strengthening women’s community organization, particularly for livestock management.

This was the first formal women’s community meeting.

• Women were organized, introduced to the visiting organization, and encouraged to form their own local committee (tanzeem).
• CNIC details of selected women members (including president and secretary) were collected.
• Discussions included women’s role in livestock care, gender awareness, and strengthening their organizational capacity.
• A survey form was also filled with the help of the women’s community.

The village is located between Punjab and Balochistan, in a monsoon area, but it often suffers from drought. This year, rains started from July, but earlier there was a long dry period.

The people’s main source of income comes from agriculture, livestock, and other small businesses.

The main road to the area is clear, but the village road itself is unpaved (kacha), which makes travel inside the village difficult.

There is also a transport problem, people depend on local buses from Meakhtar. For serious health issues, they travel to Multan or Quetta for hospital treatment.

Underground water is available in the land, but the community does not have new techniques to use it properly for agriculture and livestock.

• About 60% of families keep animals (mostly goats, sheep, cows, and chickens).
• Goats are more in number, sheep are less.
• Some families keep Australian cows, but poor families cannot afford cows.
• Livestock depends on rangeland grazing.
• Women also grow some fodder in orchards.
• Local plants in rangelands include: Sargarh, Sargas, Washa, Moshkare, Saas, Sarawan, Ragkashe. Their number has reduced due to climate change.
• Problem: No rainwater storage system. If there was, rainwater could be saved for animals.
• Overgrazing: Nomads bring animals and graze on 100–500 acres.
• Animal breeds: Kakri (local goat), Walaithi, Ghooz (long ears), Lucky.
• Major Gap: No veterinary hospital in the village.
• One government tubewell exists (depth 320 feet) but pipeline is broken.
• Crops grown: green chili, maize, tomato, ridge gourd, and pulses (moong, mash, masoor).
• Women said: If water pipeline reaches our homes, we can do kitchen gardening.
• Farmers need fodder seeds and protein grasses to improve livestock health and milk production.
• Women work with husbands in farming but need training in farming and marketing.
• Punjab is nearby, so the area has good market access.
• They also  produce almond and olive trees.
• Rainfall pattern has changed: expected seasonal rains are missing, while off-season rains are happening.
• Due to this, plants do not grow at the right time on rangelands.
• Rangeland species are decreasing each year (Sargarh, Sargas, Washa, etc.).
• Drought has been common in the past; only this year rains came in July onwards.
• No rainwater storage structures – so water is wasted during rains.
• Shortage of animal fodder during drought; women said animals remain hungry.

👥 Participants

• RBWRP technical team and mobilizers.
• Women leaders from local communities.
• District livestock and agriculture officers.
• Civil society and partner organizations.

🔬 Key Activities

• Training sessions on livestock feeding, vaccination, and fodder management.
• Orientation on community governance and transparent record‑keeping.
• Dialogue on women’s leadership roles in Co‑Management Committees (CMCs).
• Practical demonstrations of composting, fodder cultivation, and water‑efficient practices.

🌟 Achievements

• Women actively participated in decision‑making and livestock management practices.
• WCOs adopted transparent documentation and accountability mechanisms.
• Increased awareness of climate‑smart agriculture and water conservation.
• Communities expressed readiness to expand nursery and fodder plots.
• Women are ready to take part in livestock and farming work.
• Veterinary and health services are missing.
• Overgrazing is destroying rangelands.
• No rainwater harvesting system.
• Agriculture is possible, but pipeline problem must be solved.
• Women need training and support.

⚠️ Challenges

• Limited technical knowledge of livestock health management.
• Resistance from traditional male‑dominated governance structures.
• Need for stronger coordination with provincial livestock authorities.
• No boys’ or girls’ school, only an Islamic madrassa.
• No health unit (BHU). Women suffer from lung and liver problems, back pain, skin allergies, and some children are disabled.
• No electricity.
• Winter water shortage. In summer, water is available.

✅ Recommendations

• Conduct regular capacity building workshops on livestock health and fodder management.
• Provide bilingual training materials (Urdu + English) for accessibility.
• Strengthen women’s visibility in leadership roles.
• Integrate WCO livestock initiatives into RBWRP’s Provincial Water Resources Master Plan.
• Strengthen women’s groups for livestock and farming.
• Provide fodder seeds and protein grass.
• Arrange veterinary training
• Build rainwater harvesting structures.
• Repair/extend pipeline system from tubewell to field.
• Start kitchen gardening for women.
• Give training on livestock, farming, and marketing.
• Explore solar or renewable electricity options.
• In the future, construct or dig small check dams or wall structures to save rainwater.
• Arrange rangeland management training especially for women.
• Use climate-smart methods like growing fodder that can survive drought, planting more trees, and using rangelands carefully.
• Because this is a monsoon area, women suggested planting trees and bushes in grazing lands so that lost plants can grow again.
• Make water ponds for animals, designed so rainwater can flow from higher ground to lower ground.
• Build eyebrow structures (small half-circle walls) so that rainwater stays in the soil and trees can grow naturally.

📢 Conclusion

The August 2025 initiative demonstrated RBWRP’s commitment to empowering Women’s Community Organizations in livestock management. By promoting gender‑responsive leadership, climate‑smart agriculture, and transparent governance, RBWRP is building pathways to resilience and empowerment in Balochistan.